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The Gauteng education department says the legacy of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (Owlag) will continue long after its free tuition Vaal campus closes at the end of 2027.
The announcement follows confirmation by Winfrey that the academy will move away from operating a single residential school and instead expand its scholarship programme to support academically talented girls at leading schools across South Africa.
The department said administrative work to transfer the campus to the province is underway and will continue over the coming months to ensure “an orderly, seamless and responsible transfer” of the academy’s assets and facilities after the 2027 academic year.
It pledged to preserve the institution’s legacy.
“The Gauteng education department is committed to preserving and advancing the academy’s legacy of academic excellence, ethical leadership and educational opportunity. We will ensure this exceptional institution continues to serve the people of Gauteng while honouring the vision on which it was established,” said education MEC Lebogang Maile.
Through deliberate investment in the education and holistic development of young women, the academy has demonstrated that empowering the girl child is neither an act of charity or symbolism, it is a strategic investment in national development
— Lebogang Maile, Gauteng education MEC
Thanking Winfrey, Maile said she has made an extraordinary contribution to education.
“Through this academy she has not merely built a school, she has nurtured leaders, expanded opportunities, restored hope and transformed lives.”
The academy’s success showed why educating girls remained one of the country’s most important investments, he said.
“Through deliberate investment in the education and holistic development of young women, the academy has demonstrated that empowering the girl child is neither an act of charity or symbolism, it is a strategic investment in national development.”
Winfrey’s move to a national scholarship programme is “a bold and inspiring continuation of that vision” because it will extend educational opportunities to academically talented girls across the country, Maile added.
According to Owlag, all pupils currently enrolled will complete their schooling with uninterrupted academic, financial and personal support. The academy will also continue providing mentorship, leadership development and higher education support to its growing network of alumnae.
TimesLIVE
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